this is simply about providing logistics, intelligence, and refueling to a nato ally and to a regional ally. part of the hesitation on the part of the administration that secretary clinton described to us on the foreign relations committee earlier this week is because we have a legal barrier to providing direct assistance to a country whose military overthrows the civilian government in a coup. so there is some work going on between the department of defense, the state department, and some of us in congress who believe we need to be more actively engaged in mali and in supporting our regional allies, the african militaries, who are sending thousands of troops into mali to support their effort. >> you know, being a young man, i have a number of friends who serve or are serving, and i spoke with one of them a few weeks ago and i asked them how their arabic classes were going, and they told me that they don't take arabic, they take french. do you believe that we could see a day where young men and women come home in boxes from this region? >> well, sadly, luke, we've just seen that day. t